PCJ – Chapter 652 Promotion

The saline-alkali land remediation project in Yingpan Village was progressing very smoothly, and the tap water project had also been officially approved. The success came so quickly that even Zhang Jiaohua was a bit surprised. This didn’t feel like the typical pace of bureaucracy in China. Especially in a poverty-stricken county like Daihua, getting anything done usually required greasing some palms at the county office. It was rare for approvals to come this easily.

No matter how slow-witted he might be, Zhang Jiaohua knew there had to be something behind this. He didn’t need to think too hard to figure out that someone had helped smooth things over at the Daihua County level—or maybe even at the level of Bijiang City. That’s the only explanation for why he was receiving this kind of preferential treatment. The most likely explanation was that someone from the cultivation sect families had stepped in. After all, cultivation families had deep roots and plenty of descendants in powerful positions. A word from them was often enough to get things moving.

Zhang Jiaohua didn’t reject this kind of help. After all, his goal was simply to transform the face of Yingpan Village.

A few days later, the tap water project was completed, and the small reservoir restoration was also declared a complete success. Several sleek, luxury sedans appeared on the newly constructed road leading into Yingpan Village. The roads in the village were in poor shape, so these cars kept scraping their undercarriages as they navigated the terrain. Battered and jostled, they finally made it into the village.

The villagers of Yingpan rushed toward the old primary school—they had never seen so many high-end cars in their entire lives. Everyone was talking at once:

“These must be officials from higher up, right?”

“Definitely. They’re probably here to inspect the completed tap water and land restoration projects.”

“Or maybe they’re here to see Cadre Zhang. These people don’t look like our county officials. Those local guys aren’t nearly this polished.”

“No wonder Cadre Zhang gets so much support from the top for his projects. He must have powerful backers.”

“Come on, if he really had powerful connections, why would he come suffer in our village? He’s a city kid. Most people from the city couldn’t take these conditions. Remember when he first arrived? He didn’t even have a proper place to sleep. This classroom has been abandoned for years! Even us locals wouldn’t want to live in there.”

…

The cars parked on the school’s old sports field. Zhang Jiaohua stood calmly at the doorway.

Wei Chenguang stepped out of one of the cars, accompanied by several young men. When he saw Zhang Jiaohua, he rushed over.

“Sect Master, did you find another hidden realm here?” Wei Chenguang had rushed over as soon as he received the summons from Zhang Jiaohua.

“When did I ever say there was a hidden realm? Come inside first. I’ll explain the plan,” Zhang Jiaohua said, inviting Wei Chenguang and the others into the building.

Wei Chenguang looked around at the sparse, rough conditions inside and felt a pang of sadness. “Sect Master, this place is really too basic. If I had known, I would’ve helped pull some strings for you. With your credentials, you could’ve stayed in a ministry job in Beijing with no problem. Why come all the way out here and suffer?”

“Cultivation isn’t about comfort,” Zhang Jiaohua said. “It’s about going against the heavens, enduring hardship, and not fearing death. That’s what it means to walk the path of cultivation.”

“So you’re planning for us to cultivate here?” Wei Chenguang asked.

“Listen first. I’m planning to build a manor in Yingpan Village. It’ll be structured as a joint-stock operation—villagers will contribute land for shares. I want you to come in as investors. You’ll supply the capital, but the shares must be divided in a fair, transparent way. The villagers absolutely must not be shortchanged,” Zhang Jiaohua explained.

“A manor sounds great. I’ll fund it,” Wei Chenguang said immediately.

“Uncle Wei, you can’t be the only one putting up money!” said a young man who had come in with them. “I’ll cover the investment!”

“Sect Master, this is Luo Wenhai from the Luo family,” Wei Chenguang explained. “He handles external affairs for the Meishan Sect now. Clever guy, but no respect for his elders. He’s even trying to fight me for this opportunity.”

Luo Wenhai grinned. “Sect Master, Uncle Wei is being unreasonable. This kind of opportunity shouldn’t be monopolized by the Wei family. I’ve got loads of experience in setting up manors, and I’ve got good connections with several top travel agencies. If I invest, I can make this happen fast.”

Wei Chenguang quickly countered, “Don’t listen to him, Sect Master. Everyone has those kinds of contacts. The Wei family owns travel agencies and farms too. We’re much more experienced in manor operations than the Luo family.”

“Enough. Both of you can invest. This isn’t a huge project—just put in some money and treat it like a small venture,” Zhang Jiaohua said.

“Alright! Let’s do it!” Luo Wenhai agreed cheerfully.

Wei Chenguang, however, regretted bringing Luo Wenhai along. If he hadn’t, he could’ve used the manor as an excuse to frequently visit Zhang Jiaohua. Still, the outcome wasn’t too bad. Even if he had to share the project, at least he’d still have a reason to come back often.

With all the capital raised so quickly, even the villagers of Yingpan were stunned.

With a large influx of funds and the need for major construction work, a huge labor force was required. Not only were all the able-bodied people from Yingpan Village recruited, but nearby Wanyao Tree Village also sent a good number of workers. Laborers from other villages joined as well. Just like that, the food insecurity problem in both poverty-stricken villages was solved. Once the villagers had a source of income, many other problems naturally disappeared.

To preserve the manor’s scenic beauty, the farmland was remodeled in a practical, terrain-based way—no massive land-flattening or hill-removal operations. As long as the land could be mechanized, it was good enough.

While the manor was still in early construction, the highway project in Daihua County was also in full swing. Meanwhile, the cement road to Yingpan Village had already broken ground. It was designed as a two-lane road, wide enough for two tourist buses to pass.

Yingpan Village, once the poorest bachelor village in the county, was quietly becoming the most promising one. During the construction, Wanyao Tree Village was merged into Yingpan Village, allowing it to be included in the manor plan. This worked out perfectly for both Wei Chenguang and Luo Wenhai.

As Yingpan Village moved steadily toward high-speed development, Zhang Jiaohua had already begun considering whether it was time to stay or leave. At that very moment, Daihua County’s Party Secretary, Fu Jianping, rushed into the village.

Fu Jianping requested a private meeting with Zhang Jiaohua.

“Comrade Zhang Jiaohua, I’m here today on behalf of the Daihua County Party Committee. First, let me thank you for your hard work and the remarkable transformation you’ve brought to Yingpan Village in such a short time. At the same time, I’d like to ask you something on behalf of the Committee.”

“Secretary Fu, I’ve just done what I should,” Zhang Jiaohua replied. “Without the support of the county government at all levels, none of this would’ve been possible.”

“Comrade Zhang Jiaohua, you’re an outstanding graduate, and now you’ve demonstrated extraordinary ability. If we let you continue working just as a village official, it would be a waste of talent. After collective discussion, the county committee has decided to appoint you as the Party Secretary of Tianbaqiao Town. The former secretary, Yang Yongqiang, has been reassigned. Tianbaqiao is the most underdeveloped town in Daihua County. We hope you’ll carry forward the spirit and effectiveness you’ve shown in Yingpan Village and lead Tianbaqiao out of its difficulties.” Fu Jianping had come to promote Zhang Jiaohua. After less than half a year as a village official, Zhang was now being appointed as the town’s Party Secretary.

The county leadership dared to promote Zhang Jiaohua so quickly mainly because he held a Ph.D. If it weren’t for concerns about his limited administrative experience, they might have even recommended him for an even higher post at the city level.